Royal Philips has announced that its shareholders have approved the re-appointment of Roy Jakobs as President/CEO, Chairman, and member of the Board of Management, effective May 8, 2026.
Reflecting on the renewed mandate, Roy Jakobs shared that leading Philips is a responsibility he carries with great care, highlighting the opportunity to continue building on the company’s 130+ year legacy of improving lives through innovation. He also acknowledged the contribution of Team Philips in strengthening the company, delivering on commitments, and driving innovation in a rapidly evolving global environment.
Under Roy’s leadership, Philips has continued advancing its health technology transformation strategy with a focus on connected care innovation, operational resilience, personalized healthcare solutions, and long-term value creation. The company has also continued strengthening its mission of improving lives through meaningful healthcare innovation.
Roy Jakobs has built an extensive international leadership career across healthcare technology, consumer products, publishing, and energy industries. Since becoming CEO of Philips in October 2022, he has led the company’s transformation as a focused health technology organization, driving innovation across patient monitoring, diagnostics, connected care, and personalized healthcare solutions.
Before taking over as CEO, Roy served as Chief Business Leader – Connected Care, overseeing businesses including hospital patient monitoring, ambulatory diagnostics, sleep and respiratory care, emergency care, and clinical data services. Earlier, he worked as Chief Business Leader – Personal Health, managing multiple global health and consumer-focused businesses.
His earlier leadership roles at Philips also included Business Leader – Domestic Appliances in Shanghai and Regional Leader for the Middle East and Turkey, where he managed healthcare, lighting, and consumer lifestyle operations across the region. He additionally served as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for Philips Lighting, leading global strategy, marketing, M&A, and business development initiatives.
Before joining Philips, Roy spent more than 5 years at Elsevier in strategic leadership positions, including Managing Director – Academic & Government Markets and Strategy Director – Science & Technology Division. Earlier in his career, he worked with Shell for over 7 years across international commercial and retail leadership roles in the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
Roy Jakobs holds an MBA in Business Administration from Radboud University.
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